620 PICTURE-WRITING OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS. 
however, no set rules for painting, and it depends on the taste of the Indian dandy ; 
yet, still, a general similarity is observed. The bands, in their dances and also 
after battles, and when they have performed some exploit, follow the established 
rule. In ordinary festivals and dances, and whenever they wish to look particularly 
fine, the young Mandans paint themselves in every variety of way, and each endeav- 
ors to find out some new mode. Should he find another dandy painted just like 
himself, he immediately retires and makes a change in the pattern, which may hap- 
pen three or four times during the festival. If they have performed an exploit, the 
entire face is painted jet black. 
A colored plate in the report of the Pacific Railroad Expedition (/) 
shows the designs adopted by the Mojave Indians for painting the 
body. These designs consist of transverse lines extending around the 
body, arms, and legs, or horizontal lines or different parts may partake 
of different designs. Clay is now generally used. 
Everard F.im Thurn (h) describes the painting of the Indians of 
Guiana as follows: 
The paint is applied either in large masses or in patterns. For example, a man, 
when he wants to dress well, perhaps entirely coats both his feet up to the ankles with 
a crust of red; his whole trunk he sometimes stains uniformly with blue-black, more 
rarely with red, or coversit with an intricate pattern of lines of either color; he puts 
a streak of red along the bridge of his nose; where his eyebrows were till he pulled 
them out he puts two red lines; at the top of the arch of his forehead he puts a big 
lump of red paint, and probably he scatters other spots and lines somewhere on his 
face. The women, especially among the Ackawoi, who use more body-paint than 
other ornament, are more fond of blue-black than of red; and one very favorite orna- 
ment with them is a broad band of this, which edges the mouth, and passes from the 
corners of that to the ears. Some women especially affect certain little figures, like 
Chinese characters, which look as if some meaning were attached to them, but which 
the Indians are either unable or unwilling to explain. 
Kohl (a) says of the Indians met by him around Lake Superior that 
“The young men only paint—no women. When they become old they 
stop and cease to pluck out their beards which are an obstacle in paint- 
ing.” It is probable that the custom of plucking the hairs originated in 
the attempt to facilitate face and body painting. 
Herndon (b) gives the following report from the valley of the Amazon: 
Meta Conibo on the beach. Thisman was evidently the dandy of his tribe. He was 
painted with a broad stripe of red under each eye; three narrow stripes of blue were 
carried from one ear, across the upper lip to the other—the two lower stripes plain, 
and the upper one bordered with figures. The whole of the lower jaw and chin 
were painted with a blue chain-work of figures, something resembling Chinese 
figures, 
According to Dr. J. J. von Tschudi (b): 
The uncivilized Indians of Peru paint their bodies, but not exactly in the tattoo man- 
ner; they confine themselves to single stripes. ‘The Sensis women draw two stripes 
from the shoulder, over each breast, down to the vit of the stomach; the Pirras women 
paint a band ina form of a girdle round the waist, and they have three of a darker 
color round each thigh. These stripes, when once laid on, can never be removed by 
washing. They are made with the unripe fruit of one of the Rubiacaceex. Some 
tribes paint the face only; others, on the contrary, do not touch that part; but be- 
daub with colors their arms, feet, and breasts. 
